Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A system for natural motion interaction with a virtual environment comprises: a hand controller, configured to be held in a right hand of a user, the hand controller comprising: a rigid ergonomic chassis comprising a front, a back, a right face, a left face, and a bottom; a hand strap, coupled to the right face of the ergonomic chassis, configured to strap to the back of the right hand, such that the ergonomic chassis remains coupled to the right hand when strapped regardless of user hand configuration; a main trigger, fixed to the front of the rigid ergonomic chassis, configured such that the main trigger is operable by an index finger of the right hand; a lower lever, fixed to the front of the rigid ergonomic chassis and below the main trigger; a joystick, fixed to the back of the rigid ergonomic chassis, configured such that the joystick is operable by a thumb of the right hand; a tracking module, fixed to the rigid ergonomic chassis, that enables tracking of a position and orientation of the hand controller; a wireless communication module, fixed to the rigid ergonomic chassis, that transmits input control data responsive to input of the user at the main trigger, the lower lever, and the joystick; and a base unit, the base unit physically distinct from the hand controller and including a magnetic field generator; wherein the tracking module comprises a set of orthogonal magnetic sensing coils; wherein the tracking module enables tracking of the position and orientation of the hand controller via magnetic field data sensed by the magnetic sensing coils at a first sampling interval in response to a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, the magnetic field data associated with sampling times based on the sampling interval; wherein the input control data transmitted by the wireless communication module further comprises the magnetic field data; wherein the hand controller further comprises an inertial measurement unit; wherein data of the inertial measurement unit is used to enhance interpolation of magnetic field data to generate interpolated position and orientation data associated with times between the sampling times.
A system for interacting with a virtual environment using natural hand motions consists of a right-hand controller and a base unit. The controller has a rigid frame, a hand strap, an index-finger trigger, a lower lever actuated by the other fingers, and a thumb joystick. A tracking module containing orthogonal magnetic sensing coils determines the controller's position and orientation using magnetic fields generated by the base unit. A wireless module transmits controller input (trigger, lever, joystick) and magnetic field data to the base unit. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the controller refines the position/orientation data by interpolating between magnetic field data samples. The base unit, separate from the controller, includes a magnetic field generator.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hand controller further comprises a side button, fixed to the left face of the ergonomic chassis, configured such that the side button is operable by the thumb of the right hand; wherein the side button and joystick are positioned relative to each other such that the thumb may move from the side button to the joystick without repositioning any of the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky finger of the right hand.
The hand controller described above also has a side button on the left side of the chassis, operable by the thumb. The side button and joystick are positioned so that the thumb can switch between them without requiring the user to reposition their other fingers (index, middle, ring, and pinky). This allows for continuous control and interaction without disrupting the user's grip or finger placement on the trigger and lower lever.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lower lever outputs a lower lever signal in response to actuation of the lower lever; wherein the lower lever signal is used to estimate a grip strength of the user.
The hand controller includes a lower lever that outputs a signal when actuated. The system uses this lower lever signal to estimate the user's grip strength on the controller. The amount of pressure or force applied to the lower lever is translated into a numerical value representing the user's grip strength, which can then be used as an input within the virtual environment.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the lower lever is hinged such that such that the lower lever may be actuated by either of the middle finger contracting a first actuation distance and the pinky finger contracting a second actuation distance; wherein the first actuation distance is larger than the second actuation distance.
The lower lever on the hand controller is hinged. It can be actuated by either the middle finger or the pinky finger, but the required actuation distance differs. The middle finger requires a larger movement to activate the lever than the pinky finger. This differential actuation distance provides nuanced control or allows for distinct actions based on which finger is primarily used to activate the lever.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit further comprises a charging interface configured to charge a battery of the hand controller when the hand controller is docked to the base unit.
The base unit for the hand controller includes a charging interface. This interface allows the user to dock the hand controller to the base unit to recharge its battery. The charging interface provides a physical connection and electrical pathway for replenishing the controller's power source.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base unit includes a hand controller docking interface; wherein the magnetic sensing coils in the hand controller have a known and constant position and orientation relative to the magnetic field generator in the base unit when docked to the hand controller docking interface; wherein the known and constant position and orientation is used, along with the magnetic field data sensed by the magnetic sensing coils, to calibrate position of the magnetic sensing coils.
The base unit has a docking interface for the hand controller. When docked, the positions and orientations of the hand controller's magnetic sensing coils, relative to the base unit's magnetic field generator, are known and constant. The system uses this known relationship, along with the magnetic field data, to calibrate the magnetic sensing coils, improving the accuracy of position tracking.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the base unit further comprises a charging interface configured to charge a battery of the hand controller concurrently with the calibration of the position of the magnetic sensing coils when the hand controller is docked to the base unit; wherein calibration of the position of the magnetic sensing coils is performed automatically in response to detection of a controller docking event.
The base unit’s charging interface charges the hand controller's battery while simultaneously calibrating the position of the magnetic sensing coils when the controller is docked. The calibration process starts automatically when the controller is detected as docked in the docking interface. This automatic calibration during charging ensures the tracking system maintains accuracy without user intervention.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an optical tracking system; wherein the optical tracking system tracks optical position and orientation data of the hand controller; wherein the optical position and orientation data is used to calibrate the magnetic field data.
The system includes an optical tracking system that tracks the hand controller's position and orientation. This optical data is used to calibrate the magnetic field data from the hand controller's magnetic tracking system, improving the overall accuracy and robustness of the tracking.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein calibration of the magnetic field data is based on historical optical position and orientation data associated with a detected position and orientation of the optical tracking system relative to the magnetic field generator.
The calibration of the magnetic field data uses historical optical position and orientation data related to the detected position and orientation of the optical tracking system and the magnetic field generator. By incorporating this historical data, the system can refine the magnetic field data calibration, reducing errors caused by variations in the environment or setup.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hand controller further comprises an inertial measurement unit; wherein data of the inertial measurement unit is used to correct the magnetic field data in real-time.
The hand controller includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU data is used to correct the magnetic field data in real-time. This correction compensates for errors or distortions in the magnetic field data, providing more accurate and stable tracking of the hand controller's position and orientation.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hand controller further comprises a haptic feedback module.
The hand controller also has a haptic feedback module, which provides tactile feedback to the user. This allows the system to create sensations like vibrations or pulses in response to in-game events or user actions, enhancing the sense of immersion.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the lower lever outputs a lower lever signal in response to actuation of the lower lever; wherein the haptic feedback module provides haptic feedback in response to the lower lever signal exceeding a threshold actuation.
The lower lever outputs a signal based on its actuation. The haptic feedback module provides feedback when the lower lever signal exceeds a threshold. This creates a tactile response when the user applies a certain amount of pressure to the lower lever, providing feedback related to grip or force applied.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the lower lever signal is used to estimate a grip strength of the user; wherein a haptic feedback magnitude of the haptic feedback is directly proportional to the grip strength.
The system estimates the user's grip strength based on the lower lever signal. The haptic feedback magnitude is proportional to this estimated grip strength. This allows for a more nuanced haptic response, where stronger grips result in more intense feedback.
14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a body tracker, the body tracker including a second set of orthogonal magnetic sensing coils, wherein magnetic field data sensed by the body tracker is used to correct the magnetic field data sensed by the hand controller in real-time based on a known positioning of the body tracker on the user.
The system incorporates a body tracker with its own orthogonal magnetic sensing coils. Magnetic field data from the body tracker is used to correct the hand controller's magnetic field data in real-time, based on the known position of the body tracker on the user's body. This improves the accuracy of hand tracking by compensating for movements of the user's body relative to the tracking system.
15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computing system, physically distinct from the base unit, coupled to the base unit via an electric cable; wherein power and data are transferred between the computing system and the base unit via the electric cable.
A computing system, physically separate from the base unit, connects to the base unit via an electric cable. This cable transmits both power and data between the computing system and the base unit, enabling communication and power delivery.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the magnetic field generator is controlled by the computing system.
The computing system controls the magnetic field generator in the base unit. This allows the computing system to adjust or modulate the magnetic field used for tracking the hand controller, potentially optimizing it for performance or power consumption.
17. A system for natural motion interaction with a virtual environment comprises: a hand controller, configured to be held in a right hand of a user, the hand controller comprising: a rigid ergonomic chassis comprising a front, a back, a right face, a left face, and a bottom; a hand strap, coupled to the right face of the ergonomic chassis, configured to strap to the back of the right hand, such that the ergonomic chassis remains coupled to the right hand when strapped regardless of user hand configuration; a main trigger, fixed to the front of the rigid ergonomic chassis, configured such that the main trigger is operable by an index finger of the right hand; a lower lever, fixed to the front of the rigid ergonomic chassis and below the main trigger; a joystick, fixed to the back of the rigid ergonomic chassis, configured such that the joystick is operable by a thumb of the right hand; a tracking module, fixed to the rigid ergonomic chassis, that enables tracking of a position and orientation of the hand controller; a wireless communication module, fixed to the rigid ergonomic chassis, that transmits input control data responsive to input of the user at the main trigger, the lower lever, and the joystick; a base unit, the base unit physically distinct from the hand controller and including a magnetic field generator; and a body tracker including a body tracker inertial measurement unit, wherein body tracker inertial measurement unit data is used to correct the magnetic field data in real-time based on a known positioning of the body tracker on the user and to enhance the interpolation of the magnetic field data; wherein the tracking module comprises a set of orthogonal magnetic sensing coils; wherein the tracking module enables tracking of the position and orientation of the hand controller via magnetic field data sensed by the magnetic sensing coils at a first sampling interval in response to a magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator, the magnetic field data associated with sampling times based on the sampling interval; wherein the input control data transmitted by the wireless communication module further comprises the magnetic field data; wherein the controller inertial measurement unit samples the controller inertial measurement unit data at a second sampling interval distinct from the first sampling interval, and wherein the body tracker inertial measurement unit samples the body tracker inertial measurement unit data at a third sampling interval distinct from the first sampling interval.
A system for interacting with a virtual environment using natural hand motions includes a right-hand controller, a base unit with a magnetic field generator, and a body tracker with its own inertial measurement unit (IMU). The controller has a rigid frame, a hand strap, an index-finger trigger, a lower lever, and a thumb joystick. A tracking module with magnetic sensing coils tracks the controller's position/orientation using the base unit's magnetic field. A wireless module transmits controller input and magnetic field data. Both the hand controller and the body tracker have IMUs. The body tracker IMU data is used to correct the hand controller's magnetic field data in real-time based on the body tracker's position and to enhance interpolation of magnetic field data. Critically, the sampling rates of the hand controller IMU, the body tracker IMU, and the magnetic field data are all distinct.
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August 29, 2017
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